The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1887-04-30
AEaMlrs OF The FAR WEST.
A Curious Social study-Pioncer wor1'
u,nu, he. I,ccI,,scs.

A Curious Social Study--Pioncer Work
Done by Ecciuscs.
Few persons who have not considerable
familiarity with some part of the country
westward from the base of the Rockies
have any idea of the great numbers OF
men who throughout that region lead
hermitlikc lives. To Inc 1t is as matter
Of course on approaching u dwelling. be
il rusty Sx10 cabin OF place fit FOR
decent family home, TO find it occupied
by but one man, who will tell mo that he
Is .'baching it., living quite alone except
for tho company of stray visitors ut odd
times.
Generally the western semi-hermit has
strong dash Of Independence in his
character. lie is poor, and dlslikes to
work with II boss" over him, SO he sets
out to try what lc can do on his own nc
count He goes about making little
farm. He has Il few head of cattle, u
small herd Of hogs, Or something of that
kind. He frequently has q T'art2 mine
which he is endeavoring to develop by
slow and onerous toll. In parts where
there is still some gold to be got by placer
mining he is likely to be engaged for q
portion of his time in that method of
earning living-nowadays more than
ever an unceri ain and ungrateful way of
gaining subsistence. In a wooden
country" the hermit may work with the
ak, cutting firewood, or making railway
ties, fence rails, posts, shingles, or what
not, according to the suitability OF the
timber.
An immense amount OF tho pioneer
wor.; of the ne " countries is done by the
recluscs. They arc always at the front
of regular settlement, rambling around
and exploring until they happen on spots
that strike their fancy. They are the dis
coverers of the finest tracts Of agricul-
tural land, of the best springs, of the
most desirable timber. They know more
about the country in which they dwell
than anybody Else. They begin forest
clearings, fence their claims in whole OF
part, find out practicable routes for new
trails. They are great fellows for making
plans and scEerics on a large scale. The,
nose out all the natural resources and al.
vantagcu of the land, and imagine what
| they do not nose out and on that fo'm
dation build dreams of fortune. Fal
moro often than not at all the reward OF
their discoveries, their toll and scheminl
il a bare existence. Here and terc on'
of them accumulates considerable prop
erty, but by the time that has been ac
complished he has become too strongly
fixed in his habits to care Tor another
mode of life.
They arc generally men past or fairl.
ON toward middle age who ''go it alone
in The western lands. The younger fel
lows without families and who are trying
to ''do for themselves" always prefer t.
have partner; and if, as happens il
most instances, the partnership breaks III
in row, the members of the concerl
hunt employment where they can hav
companions after their kind. Altliongl
they love their freedom well enough L
rebel at the mastcrsliip of partner, the,
do not love it we'll enough to refuse TIN
mastcrship of an employer at the expens
of being deprived of the sound and sigh
of human voices and faces. When I
young man is found living in lonely stat'
he is in chronic humor of discomfort
growing vicio,isly at his lack of societ.
and bent on making a change as soon Il
circumstances will admit one. He ha
in general some well defined purpose j;
view, and is doing his level best to rcac!
his goal. Bit rs often as not lie become
lisgustcd with himself before his desire'
end is attained, and goes back TO join til
crowd. Lewis ,otorn;lway in New Gorl
Times,